The goal of this project is to deliver genes into rat brain using adeno- associated virus (AAV) vector to quench seizures induced by amygdala kindling. Having shown that the AAV is an efficient gene delivery system in the CNS, and that increased Bax mRNA may be important in the cell loss of hippocampus after seizures, further experiments will be done in the next two steps. First, we will recombine the Bax antisense gene into the AAV vector to see if Bax antisense can block cell death or apoptosis in cultured cells. A second major step will be to deliver Bax antisense into the hippocampus of kindled rats to see if it can prevent the kindled seizures. We can use the AAV gene delivery system to transfer any gene of interest (i.e., growth factors, CCK, Bcl-2, etc.) into the rat brain. This may have potential value for gene therapy of neurodegenerative or mental disorders, and will further neuroscience research. If the AAV vector has high and long-term expression in the CNS, we can use this system to deliver our genes of interest (i.e., CCK or growth factor) into the rat brain. This may have potential value for gene therapy of neurodegenerative or mental disorders, and will further neuroscience research.